Spend the afternoon relaxing by the lake

Enjoy our beautiful scenic gardens

The Lakeside Blog springs forth from the creative mind of Michelle Bruck at the Interlaken Inn, Lakeville, CT. She writes about events, great places to visit and cool things to do – in and around Lakeville & Salisbury Connecticut.

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June

27

2012

Enjoy the View

A question often asked of our staff: "Do any of your rooms have a view of the Lake?" The answer to that is YES! We have one accommodation that has a view of the lake, and that is our private lake cottage that I've blogged about. It has the most amazing view of Lake Wononpakook, what Interlaken considers our "back" lake. If you are unfamiliar with this secluded cabin, please read my blog dated June 21st or view the Guestroom/Lakeside tab.

So if the rest of our 85 rooms do not have a lake view, what kind of view do they have, you ask?

Here is a view from a Main Building Second Floor King room. This photo is not grainy - its taken from the screened-in porch. I always tell people these rooms have a distant view of the pool - and this is what I mean. Our Poolside first floor rooms also have this view from their porch (at eye level of course), but without the screened-in feature.

Here is a view from a Main Building Second Floor room - a new view! Prior to this past week, we would have said the view was of just the parking lot, but thanks to proper excavation and proper planting (thank you Junior's and Salisbury Garden Center!) the view is now a lovely one! As the final plantings happen this week, the view will only get better. For those Guests that have the need to keep an eye on their 'baby' in the parking lot, this is still a good choice. The first floor rooms have an even more green view.

This is a view from one of our Townhouse Suites/Adjoining Rooms. Sit and relax on your deck right on the grounds with the 'other side' of the pool and a distant view of the main building. Plenty of lawn space perfect for the kids to toss a frisbee! Adirondack chairs and picnic tables dot this courtyard area.

Peaking through the blinds of a newly installed back door in our Woodside Building. Our pet friendly rooms give you access to a pleasant grassy area for pups and their owners to relax or play.

Here is a view from behind the Sunnyside Building, our Victorian-styled house. The wraparound porch wraps right around to this view - grab an adirondack chair or two and relax the day away. Wine is also a nice compliment to this set-up!

Countryside, our last building. My apologies, but I owe you a photo of the view from that building. The house with eight king bedded rooms is completely occupied right now, so I'll snap one soon and post it at a later date. I can give you a hint, though: there will be green in the photo.

Let's move to the restaurant. Here is a view from Morgan's Deck - just a distant peak of the pool, waving to you while you are enjoying our full breakfast buffet offered every weekend. If you need help in deciding what to do for the day, this view may help with that! (I zoomed in, there's plenty of grassy area in between...) The other views from the breakfast room are of the gardens around the wedding pavilion and trees, more trees. Morgan's deck is also used for private luncheons and events and, very soon, for Morgan's dinner dining.

Remember: the lake is only a short walk away from all of our Guestrooms!

June

24

2012

Check-out Sunday!

I don't mean "check it out", like "take a look" - I mean the hotel version of "check-out" - like depart, leave, vacate! It is one of my favorite days - and not because Guests are leaving, but because I can hear all of the fun things they did at Interlaken all weekend long. Now this weekend was an unbelievably gorgeous one, so needless to say I was a bit jealous by some of the things I heard:

"We canoed around the perimeter of the lake". I have done this before - here's a photo I took last year when I had the pleasure. The lake and surrounding homes are gorgeous. The lake is peaceful and calm, just lovely. Major jealous!

"We took our bikes and rode along Route 41 over to Sharon". I have not biked the flats of Route 41, but have driven it many times, of course, and have always admired the view right over the crest of the very first hill. Ellsworth Farm is over in Sharon - perfect place for picking fresh fruit!

"We were here for our wedding tasting". OK, clearly one of my favorites! Tastings are so much fun for the upcoming married couple-to-be as our Chef's put together a sampling of their wedding food selections. Obviously no wedding tastings for me, but I have done many dining room tastings - remember just the previous blog, I'm taking photos of Dan taking photos of our latest menu items? I had a sampling then - delicious. And I am realizing I didn't even tell you about the most amazing dessert from that day: Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Rhubarb, Toasted Oat Crumb, and Coconut "Snow". It's a seasonal one, of course, so be sure to visit Morgan's soon so you don't miss out on this one! (Sorry I don't have a photo of this one - I ate it too fast!)

"We plan to hike to Bear Mountain." After biking the Harlem Valley Rail Trail on Saturday, this couple was going to wrap up their weekend with a hike to Connecticut's highest peak. What a gorgeous clear and sunny morning for a nice strenuous hike up the Appalachian Trail - major jealous here! I have yet to hike to Bear Mountain, but have hiked over at Sunset Rock in Copake Falls, NY - a much less strenuous hike but with equally beautiful views of the Hudson Valley - even in March!

"I was here performing for Tri-Arts". Yes, even the performers stay with us! Here's a comment we just received on our Facebook page: Had such a wonderful time at the Interlaken that I left my bag there! Jealous that my dirty clothes will get to spend another night at this fine establishment. Hopefully, the gang and I will be back soon!

Thank you, Guests, for checking out!

June

22

2012

Photo Double Take

I love my little blog camera - it's perfect for what I use it for. Photos of the wedding pavillion, the gardens, the lake, the rooms, and of course - food! Like the one of my to-go dinner the other night, sitting on my lap - I just point and shoot and I am done! To have the utmost clarity, zoom or flash options is not 100% necessary for my purpose, but when it is time to update property or food photos for our website and for other publications, it is time to bring in the professional! Our "professional" in this case is Dan Bolognani, also the Inn's Director of Sales and Marketing. Photography has been a long-time passion and interest of Dan's, and with the right equipment on hand, he can get the job done! Here he is, in action, while I do my best not to eat what he's trying to take a picture of!

The right equipment.

He loves this so much he even smiles when he's taking the picture!

Now let's focus on the amazing creations by Chef Scimeca and his Culinary Team!

Some of these items are specials for this weekend only, so come and visit us now!

June

21

2012

Honeymoon Hideaway

We were there on our honeymoon and I can sum it up in one word....AWESOME !!

Everything about it...the location, the staff, the cottage.

We enjoyed every minute we were there.

Thank you so much for a memorable honeymoon @ Interlaken Inn.

This goes back to Tuesday's blog regarding Guest Feedback emails - I love them! I always thought our lake cottage would be the perfect honeymoon spot, and this Guest certainly agrees with me.

The location.

Let's start with how to get there. It is located a short distance away from the property, on this dirt road about 3/10's of a mile long, winding between tall trees and lush vegetation.

You've arrived! Your very own private spot.

Here's the view from the screened-in porch, complete with wicker furniture and a swing meant for two:

Relaxation awaits!

The Cottage:

The cottage is perfect for two. Equipped with one king-sized bedroom (with a wonderful view of the lake), a living area with a flat screen TV and DirecTV (and also a wonderful view of the lake), bathroom (of course), and a kitchen with a full-size refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker and toaster oven. There is also an outdoor grill for grilling up your favorite kebabs and a bonfire pit for roasting marshmallows. Order a gourmet dinner from Morgan's and dine at your private lakeside spot.

Although this lovely cabin is booked for much of the summer, there are some dates still available: June 27th through July 2nd and the week of July 15th are open for both honeymooners or small families. There are also some dates available in September and October - watch the trees at the lake come alive with colors of the fall season. Reserve the date today!

June

20

2012

Morgan's - Make Mine to go, lakeside

Did you know you can take this wonderful entree from Morgan's Restaurant:

Come in and place your order (allow yourself a few minutes, it could be hard to choose), then enjoy a glass of wine or a cocktail while we prepare your meal freshly made-to-order using as many local ingredients as possible. We will put your dinner in recycled to go containers and give you all the necessary accompaniments. Take a leisurely walk to the private Interlaken lakefront and wah-lah - you have an instant picnic!

June

19

2012

Fabulous Feedback

You know how you get a bunch of emails in your inbox and you "browse" through them - pretty much looking for the "good ones" and clicking on them first? Well, anything with an "RE: Thank you for choosing Interlaken Inn" in the subject line gets clicked on right away by my little mouse! I absolutely love reading what our Guests have to say, and here is one that I just had to share with all of you!

I'm very pleased to let you know how thoroughly i enjoyed my stay at the Interlaken Inn on 8th & 9th June 2012. Our stay was in the framework of a gathering of family and friends in honor of a very special birthday for my sister.

I had the pleasure of a stay at the Interlaken Inn last August (2011). Both my visit then, as this month's, were made most enjoyable by the comfort and consideration you and your staff offer your clientele, and the outstanding facilities each guest is enabled to enjoy.

You may be certain that every time i visit the beautiful Berkshire corner of Connecticut, if my stay cannot be at the home of my sister in nearby Taconic, it's the Interlaken Inn that will be my address. Additionally, the Interlaken Inn can count upon my highest recommendation to friends and family for their stays in Connecticut.

I appreciate your thoughtful follow-up, and am pleased that i can respond with my highest grade and evaluation.

Thank you, Mr. Collin, for sharing your experiences at Interlaken!

June

17

2012

Lakeside Beauty!

As I was at the lake yesterday taking those great photos, I got to meet this beautiful girl:

It's not every day that you see a statuesque beauty like this, walking to the Interlaken lakefront. She is the first Great Dane that I've seen at the Interlaken - forgive me other Great Dane owners if you've stayed with us and I've missed you! But how could I have missed you with it being one of the tallest dog breeds in the world? I was told by her owners that she was enjoying her stay in our pet friendly Woodside Building. Speaking of which, have I showed you pictures yet of our new look out there?

It may be hard to see it, but all rooms have new wood floors. There is one Queen bed along with a twin pull-out sofa, and each room also has a microwave and refrigerator. We also provide a cozy dog bed and monogrammed blanket for every pup in the room. They need a good night's sleep too!

Here's the completely renovated bathroom. Granite top, glass enclosed shower unit - way more space than the previous bathroom - and if you've stayed with us before you will agree 100%!

Here's the last new phase of the Woodside pet friendly building: the new back door in each Guestroom that exits out to this little sitting area, the perfect spot for dogs and their owners to relax in the fresh country air and meet others. The dog walk area is located right near by, with plenty of other walking available on the property - especially down to the lakefront!

Visit our Pet Friendly page for more information regarding pet accommodations. And of course we have a special Pet-Away Package that will make your dog only want to vacation at Interlaken! I hope to meet you and your loyal canine your next visit!

June

15

2012

Lovely Lakeville Lake

June

11

2012

Fragrant Picking

Sweet, juicy, and loaded with nutrients,strawberries are one of nature's tastiest and healthiest foods. They are also now ripe in this area and ready for picking! Driving through Litchfield County, CT as well Dutchess County and Columbia County, NY the signs are up at the farms with both "u-pick" and "pre-picked". Ellsworth Farm in Sharon, CT, about 10 minutes from the Interlaken, is one of those places offering both. Have you picked lately? If you have the time (like I did on Sunday afternoon) I would certainly recommend it. It has been a long time since I had done that, and it was the first time for my young daughter. We got our empty box and headed out! Rows and rows of strawberry plants in the fields, so fragrant from the hot afternoon sun. There were so many berries on each plant and in a very small section my daughter and I made out like bandits! It was great bonding time (we listed all of the meals we'd be having with strawberries over the next week) and it was wonderful to be out in the fresh country air. Be sure to make time to "smell the strawberries" this season! Ellsworth makes it easy by offering picking 7 days per week.

P.S. We decided the best way to eat strawberries is just like this!

June

9

2012

Eat, Drink and Be Merry!

Although Eric Limon did not take these photos (see previous blog for amazing wedding photos), they still show you how Joann at Country Gardener’s decorated the wedding space for the bride and groom today!